1. Field
The invention relates to a centrifuge housing as well as to a centrifuge having an abutment for a ground on which the housing sits.
2. Related Art
Centrifuges always have a housing. The housing is used to accommodate a safety vessel, a rotor and a drive for the centrifuge rotor, to mount these components safely within the housing and to protect the technical parts from unauthorized access. Moreover, the housing also has a protective function in the event of a crash, i.e. when a sample container accidentally disengages from the rotor. The housing then has to absorb part of the vast amount of energy produced in such a case. The kinetic energy of a laboratory centrifuge running at maximum speed is 40,000 Nm, for example. If, at such speed, a sample container becomes detached from the rotor and crashes into the safety vessel, part of this energy, above all rotational energy, will be absorbed by the immediate onset of the internal destruction process, i.e. by the plastic deformation of the safety vessel. The remaining part will aim to accelerate the centrifuge housing from its rest position, in particular in the previous direction of rotation of the rotor. Tests have shown that in the event of a crash the housing of the centrifuge will be rotated by between 180° and 360°. For safety reasons, it is therefore required and mandatory to leave sufficient clearance space all around the centrifuge housing.
This restricts the possibilities of directly mounting a centrifuge in laboratory systems, in particular self-loading and -unloading robotics systems. On the contrary, a lot of laboratory space has to be reserved for the centrifuges to allow for the resulting rotation of the centrifuge housing in the event of a crash and to prevent nearby equipment from being damaged by the rotating centrifuge. This is rather complex and costly and does not meet the demands made on today's compact and integrated laboratory units composed of devices, machines and furniture.
DIN EN 61010-2-020 requires a skilled person to ensure that a laboratory centrifuge operated as intended will not noticeably move away from its site of installation. Moreover, the laboratory centrifuge must not present a danger in the event of a crash. This standard therefore stipulates a safety zone of 300 mm for this purpose.
JP 0 322 11 62 A and GB 2 101 514 A disclose centrifuges which are integrated into the drawers of laboratory furniture.
DE 694 04 261 T2 relates to a safety bracket for mounting a centrifuge on a tabletop in a shock-absorbing manner. Bolts are used to connect the safety bracket to the tabletop and to the centrifuge housing. In the event of a crash, two safety brackets will absorb the resulting energy through elastic and plastic deformation.
It is the object of the invention to improve on a centrifuge housing in such a manner that the above shortcomings are avoided and that the housing can be readily integrated in laboratory systems in a space-saving manner, yet will afford sufficient protection in the event of a crash so as to prevent damage to adjacent units. Especially the energy produced in the case of a crash is to be absorbed systematically so that the previously required clearance space around the housing of a centrifuge is no longer necessary.